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News - Arizona
News - National
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More and more people are finding organic foods readily available down
the aisles of their local grocery store. Kit and Robin Hoult do their part in
contributing to the organic market. They have been ahead of the curve and
growing organically since 1974. Starting with an abandoned dairy farm, a lonely
cottonwood tree, and a passion for gardening, the farm is now beaming with
life. Their passion has continued to fuel the thriving 15 acre organic vineyard
and produce garden for nearly four decades.
The Hoult’s have been a model of conservation during their
time on the farm. Granite Creek Vineyard was the first USDA certified organic
farm in Arizona. They continue to find and use new ways to utilize and conserve
their land. With the technical and financial assistance provided by the Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Hoult’s completed a 2100sq. ft. high
tunnel in April. |
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Sisters, Marilyn Harris and Kathy Williams own the Sands Ranch, a
cow-calf operation on 100 sections of private, state, Bureau of Land
Management, Forest Service and Pima county lands in Whetstone, Arizona.
The historic Sands Ranch began with
their grandfather, Louis Sands who moved to Arizona from Michigan in 1902. He
began to buy ranchland in 1917. Louis Sands was a great horseman and passed on
his passion for horses and his ranch to his children and grandchildren. Marilyn
and Kathy are third generation ranchers and are proud to be the owners and
operators of the Sands Ranch for the past 15 years. They work hard to continue
the legacy their grandfather left behind of maintaining a successful family
operated ranch.
It is unique to see women own and manage a full ranching enterprise
and when asked what about the ranch they like most, Marilyn replied,
“For me it is our heritage and the love for livestock and the land. Our
grandfather had a vision and I want to help carry that out. It is about
keeping a legacy alive”... |
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The Anvil Ranch dates back to the
1890’s. Owners John and Pat King share with pride the history and legacy the
ranch has carried for four generations.
“The long term history of the ranch is interesting
and carries great value,” said Joe King, youngest of John and Pat King’s
children and fourth generation rancher. “We know what the ranch was
like before us and what it is capable of being. Ranching is what we do.
I don’t know any other way.”
Turning a few pages back in Anvil Ranch history,
cases of severe drought, supplementing water sources and managing
grazing lands were all significant issues...
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If you have something of value to
protect, the dictionary tells us you are involved in conservation.
Conservation is defined as:
1. protection of valued resources: the preservation, management, and
care of natural and cultural resources
2. protection from change: the keeping or protecting of something from
change, loss, or damage.
Conservation runs through the life of Tedd Haas – conservation of
family, lifestyle, and the land. “I have always had a spot for
conservation because I believe in stewardship of the resources God has
provided us with,” said Tedd. “You like and love the land. You earn your
income that way, and you take care of it. It becomes a part of you.” ...
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Barbed wire wrapped around
wooden posts is seen throughout ranch country. The hands and the sweat
of hardworking ranchers and their cowboys are to thank for the miles of
fences being there. Barbed wire fences aren’t flashy or mechanically
engineered. They are practical. They are a tool. They are the
backbone of managing ranchland... |
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Three years ago, Wilma had an
idea for a conservation project located in Northern Cochise County and
in Southern Graham County in an area classified as Southern Arizona
semi-desert grassland. Where vast herds of antelope used to live was
found barren of fresh sign of their existence. Southeastern Arizona is
known for its diverse bird species. One of its permanent residents, the
scaled quail, was also showing declined numbers. It didn’t take Wilma
long to identify the correlation between increased invasive mesquite
populations and the diminishing antelope and scaled quail populations... |
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It is delicious. Be it in a bowl of
cereal, chilled in a tall glass, or in an ice cream cone, milk is a commodity
loved by many. However, as we enjoy our three servings of dairy each day, Joe
Serrano, part owner of Joharra Dairy in Casa Grande, Ariz., is working hard to
maintain healthy and productive dairy cows.
The Joharra Dairy is located in the center of Casa
Grande. What used to be wide-open-spaces around the dairy are now
filled with housing developments. Casa Grande is growing quickly and
urban sprawl is one of the toughest challenges facing the dairy... |
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Long days in the field intensify as
the suns powerful rays beat down. Acres of alfalfa and cotton appear through the
heat waves with soil cracking at the surface, awaiting irrigation. This is a
typical image of farming in the middle of summer in Florence, Ariz. Though at
times the job is gruesome, Dennis Bagnall of Morning Star Farms wouldn’t choose
any other lifestyle.
“Sure there are other things I could do, but why?
I love the freedom that comes with farming,” explained Dennis... |
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Kit and Robin Hoult were producing
organic grapes and other produce. They bought an 18-acre abandoned dairy
farm in 1974 and turned it into their little piece of heaven; complete with lots
of wildlife, beautiful trees, rows of vineyards, cared-for produce gardens, and
eventually an award winning winery in 2002.
“We started with gardening and simply scaled it
up,” said Kit... |
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Victor Wakimoto, alfalfa farmer in Mohave Valley, Ariz., received
financial assistance through the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s
(NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to install a drip
line irrigation system on 100 acres of alfalfa. Drip irrigation not only
conserves more water than other irrigation methods, it also increases
efficiency. By increasing efficiency, production will be improved due to
water reaching the accessible zone for plant roots quicker...
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The Hualapai Indian Tribe is located on a reservation in Northwestern
Arizona, encompassing over 1,000,000 acres along 108 miles of the
Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. Cattle-ranching is a main source of
income for the Tribe. Much of the Hualapai Reservation is made up of
native grasslands. Cattle-ranching isn’t just a business it is a way of
life and conserving the natural resources it requires is of high
priority...
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The presence of underserved agricultural producers in Maricopa County
and throughout the State is significant. Mohammed Zerkoune of the Avondale NRCS
Field Office states, “It requires additional outreach efforts to adequately
respond to the conservation needs of underserved agricultural related
operators.” Because of this need, the Avondale Field Office has made a valiant
effort in conducting outreach to underserved individuals and groups including
Women, Hispanics, Blacks and African Americans...
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Marvin John has farmed his land in Cotton Center, Arizona for more than
40 years. He is a true native to the state, born and raised on a farm
outside of Stafford, Arizona. Although he is a pioneer in the local
agricultural scene, he does not let newer county mandates become
roadblocks for his practice.
“It’s not practical to be reactive and receive fines – better to get things
taken care of and find partners like NRCS to help you along the way,” said John... |
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“The experience fulfilled my life,” said Soil Conservationist Johnny
Gomez regarding his detail in Iraq to aid the local farmers. From
October 2007 through October 2008, Gomez toured along the Euphrates
River, spearheading a number of irrigation projects and providing
$800,000 of small grain and vegetable seed along with fertilizer to the
area. Since then, Gomez has presented to a large audience of government
officials back in the U.S., sharing his knowledge of the region and the
agricultural challenges it faces...
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Three workers struggle to keep up with irrigating hundreds of acres of
pecan trees. Excess water turns farm roads into mud, which melt away and
need constant repair. Weeds pop-up everywhere, and the muddy roads make
preparing the ground for harvest exhausting.
Glenn Williams loves pecan trees. The work involved in caring for them is worth
the benefits. “Every time I drive through these trees in the summer, it’s so
beautiful. It’s 10 or 20 degrees cooler; kind of like being at the ocean the way
the sound is,” said Williams...
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For Lloyd Nelson, civil engineering technician, learning new
conservation planning skills keeps him excited about NRCS. He challenged himself in 2009 by
designing a compost facility that provides fertilizer for a 1,700 acre organic
farm.
Arnot Duncan of Duncan Farms has been composting since the early 1990s. He
believes in the benefits of applying manure to his fields, but realized he had
to prove to a lot of people that composting could work. “I knew about the
nationwide concerns about raw manure,” said Duncan. “So, let’s address it now
before EPA or local government gets involved."... |
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Twenty-two acres of land is not very much for a farm. It’s got sandy
soil, available water is scarce, and the remote location makes it
difficult for equipment to get there.
Sound like a great opportunity?
Lemeul Halwood had his vision for the 22-acres. His grandfather grew corn there,
and Halwood wanted to as well. Having enough water to grow anything was the
first challenge on this land in Canon del Muerto on the Navajo Nation...
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